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Disparity Between East and the Rest Narrows
China has made outstanding achievements in narrowing the socio-economic gaps between its eastern, central and western areas during the Ninth Five-Year Plan period (1996-2000), a State Economic and Trade Commission spokesman said.
"Due to the central government's favourable policies, the central and western areas, which are considered underdeveloped in China, witnessed a rapid economic growth during the past five years," the spokesman said.
The average annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate in western areas stood at 9.77 per cent. In central areas the rate was 10.10 per cent.
"The growth rates were close to that of the eastern region, which stood at 10.43 per cent," the spokesman said.
"A number of key provinces have arisen with robust economies in the central and western areas during the latest period," he said.
Country-wide, 13 provinces and autonomous regions, including Hubei, Anhui and Ningxia, scored higher economic growth than the national average during the Ninth Five-Year Plan period, while only eight provinces and autonomous regions managed to exceed the average during the Eighth Five-Year Plan period (1991-95).
Many of the newly prosperous provinces and regions are located in the middle and western parts of China.The cities of Xi'an, Chongqing, Chengdu, Urumqi and Kunming have become economic powerhouses in these areas.
The spokesman said fixed assets investment in the central and western areas increased during the Ninth Five-Year Plan period, and the areas' infrastructures had improved rapidly.
Accounting for 34.7 per cent of the country's total in 1996, fixed assets investment in western China accounted for 38.8 per cent of the total in 1999.
A number of key projects, including the Three Gorges Dam project, the Nanning-Kunming Railway and the Beijing-Kowloon Railway, have been launched or completed during the five years.
"These key projects have greatly improved the infrastructure in central and western areas, which helps the areas' economic development,'' the spokesman said.
During the Ninth Five-Year Plan period, China carried out a series of policies designed to open central and western areas to foreign investors.
The efforts have begun to pay off. Foreign investment and exports have both increased to a significant degree, the spokesman said.
Exports in central and western areas grew 31.96 per cent and 27.07 per cent year-on-year respectively during the first half of this year, while exports in eastern areas rose 27.80 per cent.
"The central and western areas have also succeeded in improving diversity of industry and beefing up economic co-operation with eastern areas during the five years," the spokesman said.
Along with the rapid economic development, living standards have obviously improved, and the income gap between people in eastern areas and central and western areas had narrowed, the spokesman said.
Due to the country's efforts to help people escape poverty, the number of poor people in western and central areas decreased, dropping from 65 million in 1996 to 34 million at present, according to official statistics.
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